


Home

by the_dangerous_ginger



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Air Force!Castiel, Aunt Jess, M/M, Surprised Dean, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Uncle Sam, dadstiel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-04
Updated: 2016-06-04
Packaged: 2018-07-12 06:07:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7088311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_dangerous_ginger/pseuds/the_dangerous_ginger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam cleared his throat, drawing both of their attention, and Jess pointed a slender finger in his direction.<br/>His heart felt like it was going to explode.<br/>“Alright, alright, it’s just a tree-,” Dean stopped mid-sentence, “Cas?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Home

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy!
> 
> ~K

 

~~~

 

The temperature in South Carolina topped out at an even 74 degrees that day, with the sun shining down and not a cloud in the sky.

Blazing orange, yellow, and red leaves floated down around him, covering the ground in a crisp and colorful layer. He watched them fall from the huge, winding limbs above him behind his dark sunglasses. 

Angel Oak park was gorgeous this time of year, right before the turn of September into October. There had been a lull in the park’s normal activity in the past ten minutes, leaving him to the quiet serenity.

Castiel checked the time on his watch and studied the little pink bear in his hand again.

They all would be here any moment now.

He swallowed down a bout of nervousness and adjusted the collar of his uniform. 

His team had just landed a matter of hours ago, and he was exhausted, but the surge of excitement and nervousness that ran through him every time he thought of them kept him wide awake.

Not far off in the distance he could hear voices and he automatically straightened, pulling his beret down firmly and adjusting into his stance, folding his hands behind his back.

The closer the voices got the faster his heart beat.

Castiel hadn’t been this nervous since the spring he’d first been deployed. Since then he’d gotten very good at masking it, though.

A loud peal of laughter echoed through the area and his heart swelled when he recognized it.

_ Dean. _

Oh how he’d missed that laugh.

Footsteps rounded the small bend that opened up to the enormous tree he was standing over.

His husband was a visage, standing tall and beautiful, with a handful of leaves multicolored scattered across his shoulders and in his hair. His jeans had a hole in the knee of one leg and the thigh of the other, exposing the pale, freckled skin underneath.

In his arms was the single most precious thing in Castiel’s world.

_ Claire. _

Her hair, which also had a piece of a leaf in it, was up in pigtails tied with bright green bows today. She was giggling and trying her best to cram as many leaves as she could down his husband’s black t-shirt.

Dean was so caught up play wrestling with their daughter to notice his presence, but he didn’t mind waiting.

Sam and Jess, on the other hand, were not as patient.

Sam cleared his throat, drawing both of their attention, and Jess pointed a slender finger in his direction.

His heart felt like it was going to explode.

“Alright, alright, it’s just a tree-,” Dean stopped mid-sentence, “Cas?”

_ “Papa!” _ Claire’s face lit up as she squealed and squirmed in Dean’s arms.

Seemingly numb, he let her down and Claire sprinted toward him, a handful of leaves still clutched in her hand. He met her mid-way and crouched down to her level, nearly letting himself be bowled over by the force of her launch. Little arms banded around his neck and he stood again.

Castiel hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath until he got a lungful of her fresh and pure scent.

He lost all composure and smiled even as tears streamed down his face. 

“You’re home, you’re home!” She chanted in his ear.

“Yes, bug, I’m home.”

He held his girl tight, peppering kisses across her face and hair.

“I missed you so much, Papa!”

He pressed another kiss into her hair and gave her a watery smile, “I missed you too, bug.”

Castiel looked up to see Jess beaming at him, Sam a few feet behind her, sharing the same case of shiny eyes as him. She held out her hands for his daughter and jerked her head in the direction of where his husband still stood frozen.

“Bug, why don’t you go see Aunt Jess for a minute while I go talk to Daddy.” 

She went willingly into her aunt’s arms, turning to still smile at him.

“This is for you.” He gave her the bear that had fallen out of his hand and grinned when she hugged it close. 

He kissed both Claire and Jess on the head and gave Sam a hug before turning to Dean. Tears were streaming down his husband’s face by the time he’d made the seemingly endless walk towards him. 

Slowly, he removed his sunglasses and stopped in front of him, giving him another moment to process. Dean’s eyes glittered like emerald gems as he stared openly at him, mouth still dropped open.

“You’ll catch a fly like that.” He said softly.

“You son of a bitch.” Dean choked out brokenly before mirroring their daughter and launching himself at Castiel.

He let himself be engulfed as a fresh wave of tears fell again.

Dean shook and trembled in his arms, clutching at his shoulders and the back of his head, knocking his beret off, crying openly into the crook of his neck.

“Y-You were s-supposed to call, you ass.” He cry-laughed and punched him in the shoulder.

“I liked this way better.”

When he composed himself enough, Dean leaned back and stroked a hand down his face, then grabbed him and kissed him soundly.

His lips felt like coming home all over again.

Castiel didn’t know how long they stood there under the falling leaves in the warm South Carolina shade, but he knew he didn’t care.

Eventually, when they broke apart, Jess handed him Claire back.

A piece of his heart he didn’t know was missing fell back into place again as he stood there with his little family. He could practically feel the glow emanating from all of them and in that moment, he felt whole.

In his arms he held the very beings that had held him together through all that time.

The seven months he was gone melted away, leaving him with nothing but an endless amount of happiness and love that emanated from all of him.

“Welcome home, Angel.”

He smiled, “It’s good to be back.”

**Author's Note:**

> Like it? Let me know!
> 
> ~K


End file.
